Costume Designer Ruth Carter Brings Truth to Her First Collection With H&M

Ruth Carter understands the importance of story. The Academy Award–winning costume designer behind films like Black Panther, Do the Right Thing, and Malcolm X, Carter uses style to enhance narrative and explore history. Onscreen her work ranks among the most recognizable in Hollywood, but when she was approached by H&M to design a capsule collection of streetwear, it came as a surprise. “People think that I got into this business because of fashion, but it was the storytelling aspect that drew me in,” Carter says by phone from Los Angeles. “When I was asked, I had to think about whether or not I would fit into the fashion world. I felt I needed to bridge the gap between those two realms.”

The 10-piece collection of hoodies, T-shirts, and bucket hats represents a distillation of Carter’s onscreen aesthetic and the vibrant feel of ’80s-style streetwear. Fans of brands like Cross Colours and Karl Kani may find commonalities, but Carter’s reference points extend even further back in time. The Black Liberation flag, first created in 1920 by the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League, serves as a recurring motif. “I grew up with brothers and sisters, aunts and cousins who were all about black, red, and green,” says Carter. “It didn’t matter if you were in an army jacket with a black shirt or if you had the colors around your neck, you were proclaiming liberation and empowerment.”

That inspirational spirit underscores the entire collection. Shirts with uplifting slogans like “trust your voice” and “truth” serve to echo Carter’s journey and the struggles many people of color face. “I think young people go through life with so much doubt and fear,” says Carter. “I learned some big lessons in this industry about trusting myself, being on projects where the negativity from the higher-ups or the racism at just the thought of me being at the helm created a hurdle for me to jump in terms of my self-worth.” Carter credits her collaborators with helping her through those moments and giving her the desire to pay it forward. “I always had a champion somewhere, whether it was the star of the film or it was just the fact that there were crew people who would express to me, ‘We’re going to stick with you to the end,’ ” she says. “Little words were said to me about trusting my instincts, and that is what kept me going. I know for a fact that when you do, it works.”

One of Carter’s most frequent collaborators, director Spike Lee, receives a special shout out. “It’s the truth, Ruth,” the on-air sign-off of Do the Right Thing’s DJ, Señor Love Daddy, serves as a slogan on bright red sweatshirts. “I always thought that was a love letter from Spike. He put my name in the film and the guy says it over and over and over again. It’s like, how great is that?” says Carter. “[The phrase] reminds you to speak your truth. It reminds you when something is right, you stand by it. I love that it’s there. It has so many endearing meanings to me that I just wanted to share it again with everyone.”

Community underscores Carter’s fashion philosophy, and it was important that the clothes not only looked good but fit into a historical context. “My whole thing is pulling history and bringing to life people who empowered the culture,” she says. “[Black History Month] is great because we’re reminded of the people who came before us, and those who are right here in front of us, who have paved the way and provided a window into our future, and that’s meaningful for me.”

As the first African American to win an Oscar for costume design and the first costume designer to partner with the Scandinavian mega-brand on a collection, Carter is well aware of her unique position within the industry and what her success represents. “I’m still not afforded the same opportunities that a lot of other costume designers might get when they win,” she says. “So it’s up to me to take the opportunities that are posed to me and maximize them. I think that’s what makes me different; it takes me down a path less traveled.”